The present invention relates to a sign assembly, and, in particular, to a sign assembly including a sign portion that may be quickly installed in the assembly and, once installed, remains securely in place until its removal is desired.
Typically, such sign assemblies include a frame structure often made of metal or plastic or the like, where a sign portion is held in place by the frame structure. Very often such frame structures do not offer the ease in changing the sign portion and at the same time provide a sign portion that is securely held in place once it is positioned in the sign assembly. Very often such sign assemblies are outside and exposed to the elements, or may be inside and exposed to people or other forces bumping the assembly, for example.
Various sign assemblies have been disclosed in the past, such as, U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,715, dated Jul. 1, 1930, issued to Hermann Hopp, et al., which discloses a display device for displaying price ticket holders. The ticket holders are removable. In one embodiment, the Hopp patent discloses a main body portion of elongated shape. Inwardly disposed end flanges integral with the ends of the main body portion are 3 included. A channel member is carried by the main body portion and extends transversely in spaced relationship with the flanges. The oppositely disposed flanges formed integral with the channel member and are adapted to cooperate with their respective end flanges to retain a ticket in display position in the main portion. Tongues are carried by the channel members and are adapted for bending around the respective side edge of the body portion to retain the price tickets in position.
Other sign assemblies are known in the art such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,683, dated Feb. 10, 1953, issued to Russell J. Leander, which disclosed a foldable display made of sheet material, preferably paper or cardboard treated to make it waterproof or it may be of other sheet material The Leander patent discloses that the invention is particularly adapted to being applied to the top of an oil pump casing but may have other applications to other casings which are generally rounded on top or at the upper edges. A display made of sheet material which is cut, scored and foldable to conform to a curved support. Means for attaching the ends of the sheet together and thus turning both of the ends of the oval scored base downwardly to conform to oppositely curved surfaces at relatively opposite sides of the top of the supporting structure are included. In one embodiment a resilient means extends through the display and against the scored portion in its outwardly turned position and fastening clips secured to the ends of the resilient means comprising hooks adapted to engage the sides of the support with the rounded top to which the display is attached.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,529, dated Oct. 1, 1974, issued to Areas O. Aybar, is disclosed a nameplate for a directory comprising a strip and blank in which the strip is comprised of a thin, flexible, resilient deformed material having rounded ends forming lobes. The blank being a plastic engraveable blank secured to the strip. Nameplates are provided which are flexible to be bent in a slight curvature and are resilient to return to that shape when flattened. The nameplate is deformed and/or positioned to cause only the strip of the nameplate to fit into and engage folded-over edge portions of a holder.
Another such sign assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,866, dated Nov. 28, 1989, issued to Roland Gebhardt, which discloses a signage system support structure formed from a pair of identical extruded multi-groove channel members. A connecting element is included in the form of an elongated rigid panel inserted into an unconstricted medial groove of each channel which serves to join two channels. Each channel is additionally formed with a constructed medial groove, and a pair of outwardly facing grooves and pair of lateral grooves on each side of and parallel to the medial grooves. In use, the upper and/or lower edges of the sign to be supported are engaged in one or more of the channel grooves with a flat sign having either opposed edges encased in the lateral grooves or a free edge in a constricted medial groove, an arcuate sign having its edges engaged in the outwardly facing grooves. The signs where supported displays may be formed with engaging tabs displaceable from the plane of the sign to engage a groove.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,352 dated Dec. 5, 1989, issued to Robert S. Lipscomb, is disclosed a changeable sign assembly comprising a base with a least two retaining members attached to the base which has walls defining opposing longitudinal grooves. A number of display members having curved opposite edge portions which are formed of a thin resilient material. The edge portions are flexibly deformed by the longitudinal grooves to the retaining members so that the display members are removably retained by the retaining members.
Problems may arise with the prior art sign assemblies in that, outside forces, such as wind, for example, may cause the sign portion of the assembly to become inadvertently dislodged. Thus, there exists a need for a sign assembly that includes a sign portion that may be quickly and easily changed but will not be disturbed by outside forces, such as, wind.
The present invention provides a sign assembly useful in point of purchase advertising, such as, used in fuel stations, food stores, and the like. The sign assembly of the present invention includes a support member which may, for example, be the top or side of a gasoline pump, display stand, wall, ceiling, or pole. An elongated flange member includes a base portion attached to the support member and an elongated trough portion having a U-shaped cross-section. The trough portion is substantially perpendicular to the base portion. Transverse pin members are mounted in predetermined intervals between opposite walls within the U-shaped trough portion.
A sign member is provided which includes a sign portion where a printed message for advertising and the like may be displayed. The sign member has a lip portion on at least one side thereof. The lip portion is sized to engage the U-shaped trough portion of the flange member. The lip portion has a plurality of pin member receiving openings. Each of the pin member receiving openings of the lip portion have a pin member docking portion engageable with transverse pin members and a pin member locking portion positioned substantially perpendicular to the pin member docking portion. The pin member receiving openings of the lip member and the transverse pin members are in operative alignment.
The sign assembly may be quickly assembled by aligning the pin members of the flange member with the docking portion of the pin member receiving openings of the lip portion of the sign member and pushing on the sign member until the pin member enters the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings. Then the sign member is slid in the direction of the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings to cause the pin members to engage the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings, thereby securing the pin member to the sign member. The support member may be vertical or horizontal.
Preferably, the base member has first mounting apertures passing therethrough in predetermined position. The support member is provided with second mounting apertures therethrough in predetermined position. The support member is threaded proximate the second apertures. First mounting bolts are included. The first mounting bolts are in pass through relationship with the first apertures of the base member in threadable engagement with the second apertures of the support member.
Preferably, the sign assembly further includes a sign secondary securing assembly. The sign secondary securing assembly, preferably includes a secondary securing bolt. The U-shaped trough portion has third mounting apertures passing therethrough. A wing nut member is provided engageable with a secondary securing bolt, whereby when the secondary bolt passes through the third apertures of the U-shaped trough and engages the wing nut member, the sign portion is ensured to remain in a fixed position on the support member despite any external forces.